Insanity #07 17 августа 2000

История

Clive Sinclair - Pages from the life of the creator of the Spectrum: Clive Sinclair.

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  eї ° √ ¤ ¤ √ ∙ ° ўeE Pages from the life of Sinclair eї ° √ ¤ 
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  $% Surv! V0r


... [

        About Sinclair seemingly everywhere talked so much,

        that already seems to have nothing to tell. Maybe this 
is 

        so. In any case, I would be right in saying,

        that there are more pop and unnecessary topics than 
this. 

        And certainly, sip neprihodyaschih knowledge will not 
prevent 

        anyone.

                                                            ] 
... 


                              <...>


    Man with world-renowned Marlz Clive Sinclair (Clive Marles
Sinclair) was born near Richmond in Surrey village on July 30
1940. Coming from a family of technical intelligentsia - his 
father and grandfather were engineers, he was not an only child.

Younger brother, Clive, Ian, was born in 1943, sister Fiona in 
1947. Childhood at Sinclair was calm, almost the same as that

most other children. Every weekend was a lot of Clive
free time, his hobbies are swimming,
boating. One day at a very early age, he, together with
grandfather fashioned the ship, which was indescribably happy.

The child quickly saw the difference between the freedom of 
action which gave the weekend and the duty to attend school

lessons. He assessed this possibility in dignity when he could
fully indulge his own thoughts and study really is
that he really wanted to know, not what is wanted from him
others.

Clive often of little interest to the society of their peers,
as a child with his imaginative and eye-catching is not
Weather originality of thinking, speech, large
interest in water sports stood out among the
classmates. He preferred the social circle of adults, which
included not only his family. In it, he could, and no where more
feel what is called the 'at ease'.

Clive went on to study at a preparatory school Box Grove. He and
now speaks of her with great respect, although slightly
disappointed after learning that the school was closed.

When he was ten years old, he realized that this educational 
zavedenenie can not give him anything more of mathematical 
knowledge. In this same time his father had problems in the 
financial affairs. But tenacity and perseverance allowed 
Sinclair to return all its place in a short time, and Clive 
managed to continue their education in high school.


In 1955 he graduated from high school with a fairly Highgate
solid knowledge in all disciplines and in particular to
physics and mathematics. In the future, making a choice, he 
preferred do it in mathematics for which the study and enrolled 
in Ueybridzhsky College of St. George.


Clive in adolescence constantly improve their knowledge
in radio engineering. His passion was the development of optimal
radishem. This idea has become an integral feature of all his
projects and future inventions. He was looking for ways to make 
the thing more elegant and compact, robust, and simultaneously 
with a simple scheme and inexpensive parts.


Family joke was to call the room by Clive 'Warehouse Wire'
but precisely because of this very room began to appear first
amplifiers and radios for family and close friends, and
radios as a device for playing in the woods.

Mathematics - this is perfect and precise language interested 
him very strongly. While still a teenager, Clive Sinclair 
constructed counting a programmable machine drill.


In order to simplify the account to a bare minimum, Clive 
organized the logic of the counting machine, using the signals 
0 and 1. Here is what he says: 'I thought it was a great idea. 
I was actually so delighted to learn that opened my number 
system exists, and it is called binary. At the same time, I was

deeply disappointed by this turn of affairs, because, as I
It seemed my fate was already decided ... but I was all the same
terribly pleased with my discovery, crazy! "

Later Sinclair with great diligence in school and
try to pay as much attention to those subjects
which in his opinion, he needed only by absorbing
information, often in much larger quantities than it was
recommended by school teachers. And to this day, Clive
trying to increase your knowledge by reading more books than
earlier. For this reason, he barely had time to subjects that
little interested him. While still a student of high school, he 
wrote his first article, which was later published in the 
Journal of Practical Wireless.


But not all the time he gave the books. Contrasting leisure 
studies, he and his friends were all the same against the 
insane youth parties. As one of his friends once in a Christmas 
Eve He told Clive that he should go to sing in a choir and

would be late. Clive little thought, said that it would be
well go along. That evening it was. Clive with a friend
stood and sang in the choir, even though Clive had never 
differed inclination towards religion and called himself an 
atheist. 

After graduating from high school before his eighteenth 
birthday, the Sinclair there was no apparent reason, which 
would hinder him go to university, except that he did not want 
to. He was convinced that all that is necessary for its 
activities, he explore on their own. So told him life 
experience ... 

His first plan to organize their work is reflected in
ordinary notebook. In her with a July 19, 1958 under the title
'C. M. Sinclair' s Micro Kit Co. ' He began to take its first
record. In the same notebook you can find the schema of the 
radio entitled 'Model mark I' with a list of necessary data:

price, number of wires, radio parts ... He was constantly in
search for more cheap electronic components for the scheme and 
were they are cheaper if they buy a small wholesale? He quickly 
realized to sell something in large quantities, it needs to buy

details are also in large quantities!

Clive was already thinking about advertising in any newspaper. 
But where to get money to pay a penny for the word of nine and 
six penny per line and at the same time to buy thousands of 
parts? He decided to write a new article in the same magazine 
Practical Wireless. Article was adopted, although it was not 
published until November of the following year. And all the 
money from Sinclair and was not. When he saw the next issue of 
the journal PW advertisement for an assistant editor, he turned 
to the editorial office and without any difficulties got the 
job. 

The work was relatively easy. Over an issue of
worked only three people: the editor, deputy editor and
Assistant Editor - Clive Sinclair. Often, the editor who was 
ill and did not less often associate editor walked in the 
footsteps of his boss. AND something happened that should 
happen. 

At eighteen, Clive was the leader of the publication. In the 
main Clive duties included receiving materials from the 
permanent correspondents and a sample from him less suitable for

publications, preparation of reviews. Sinclair is also editing 
PW time to read in large quantities and develop new

scheme.

At an exhibition in honor of the anniversary of the invention 
of radio, opened in Earl's Court in late August 1958, Sinclair

represented by the Editor of PW, selling fresh numbers and
attracting subscribers. But it is increasingly visited by 
thoughts start own business. Opposite the exhibition hall 
located Publishing Bernard's Publishing. Sinclair says: 'I

stood at the booth of our publishing house, when suddenly there 
was figure Babanov Bernard of publishers across the street. He 
said: 'See you for coffee in ten minutes. " He offered me

start working in his firm, to which I replied 'maybe', but
Babanov retorted: "I would like to hear an affirmative answer
after some time. "

So Clive Sinclair was published by Bernard Babanov.

In it Sinclair designed the radio circuitry, and Mr. Singh 
worked ibid, helped prepare drawings and diagrams for 
publication in books. Secretary Maggie did all the little that 
remained. Sinclair's mother greatly worried that his son had 
left the Editor monthly publishing, but Bernard comforted her: 
"Mrs. Sinclair, the name of your son will be on the cover of 
each book that We will publish. " It all turned out to be true.


Twenty-five years in the library Sinclair on the shelves is
many books on micro-computers, and you can very simply
find the name of the Clive on their cover.

But the burning ambition to arrange their own businesses were 
not given him to rest, and July 25, 1961, it registers a 
company Sinclair Radionics Ltd.


The first time he was busy looking for a sponsor who would 
support his work in designing and developing miniature

transistor radio. Sinclair temporarily needed more
one job to earn enough money to be neither of
someone addicted. Difficulties in their own business, finding a 
sponsor were short. Some time later he begins to work

technical editor of the journal Instrument Practise in London
Publishers United Trade Press.

For the first time his name as an assistant editor on the pages
Instrument Practice magazine appears in March 1962. He did not
wasted no time to lose time, and soon, in May and June appear
its first commercial amplifiers.

Already in April 1963 he left the editorial board. This year
brought him many new and interesting. As Correspondent
he could visit all the companies producing radio components, 
where his always greeted with open arms. One of the reasons

sinklerovskogo genius is that he always aimed to
reduce the size of their developments. That is why, with 
Sinclair confidence can be called a practical and rational 
person. 

Sinclair knew that the company's vendors for readiodetaley
publication of its products in order to chase profits for some
only known to them the benefits were material with some
exemptions from the characteristics of the goods. Needed to 
understand - what specific characteristics of concealing the 
manufacturer? Elucidate these features, Sinclair was able to 
design most simple and at the same time the cheapest radios,

in which he used the radio components with the maximum benefit 
for themselves. 

Soon after Sinclair left the publishing field and immersed in
business. The world first learned of the existence of Sinclair 
Radionics Ltd. of half page ads, placed in different

technical journals. It happened in November 1962.
Ad advertised mirkousilitel - 'the smallest
amplifier in its class worldwide, "as the inscription.
Amplifier size was no more than half of the royal crown
which proves the picture on the page.

The beginning of the great success of the company was led by 
Sinclair it should be. Office located in London, although in 
the ads Mailing address was given in Cambridge. At 'Histon Road

69, Cambridge 'friend Sinclair, head engineer Tim Eyloart
by Cambridge Consultants Ltd. and kindly agreed to help
Sinclair in mail processing. And it is not in vain.

A second ad appeared in December 1962, and in
January 1963 was published a detailed account of the 
characteristics new radio on the whole page. The most 
interesting thing started some time later. Cambridge was 
swamped with thousands of e-mail cards, which are expressed 
only one request - the desire to buy radio company Sinclair 
Radionics Ltd. All konstatrovali one - the demand was extremely 
high! 

Radio was the development of Sinclair's dreams - a circuit of 
notebooks since Sinclair Micro-Kit Co., where the 'business' 
Clive was still only on paper. And it happened. Thousands of 
potential buyers in February 1963 was presented serially

model of the radio, giving rise to such a great and genuine
interest. The level of sales all rose and rose, were born and
new ideas. Shop in CAMBRIDGE was often crowded with
buyers in advance.
Sinclair is the company's success in the fact that she always
given first to the proposal on the category of demand,
which existed in the market. He knew marketing.

By 1979, formed a specific market for personal
computers, when prices were not elevating the ordinary to the 
buyer. AND Computers have found wide application in various

laboratories, commerce and education. Not every family can
afford to have a computer at home, and in most cases
did not know - why do (many still do not know - why should they
computer)? Clive Sinclair's desire to lay in the fact that
give real people an opportunity to take advantage of
computers for an incredibly modest price!

In May 1979, London's influential Financial Times newspaper
published a great headline: 'The price of personal computers in
Within five years, will drop to 100 pounds! " And of course, 
after reading this a peculiar manner for Sinclair, he dreamed of

make it happen for a few months to once
wake up famous!

Appeared ZX80 - the smallest and cheapest in the world
computer. It was first shown to the public
Exhibition in Wembley in January 1980. With its truly
miniature size 9 x 7 inches and no less ridiculous
price at the time, just 99.95 pounds a meeting or a
79 funov a designer, nothing and no one could compare. This
was was just a shock! In pursuit of low price, a radical
innovation was the use of new components and
use as a conventional home television monitor,
and tape recorder - as storage media.

In the car, ZX80 was already eight-analog microprocessor
Z80A from the company Nippon Electric. Big perk for those size 
ROM, had firmware chetyrehkilobaytnogo BASIC language 
interpreter, font built. ZX80 was designed for more-thus

people who stood in the street and wanted to know at least a 
minimum information on programmable computers, but they were 
afraid or not dared to ask.


Sinclair was convinced that people can encourage buy ZX80, but 
as do it - that is the question.


It was necessary to destroy the corrosive stereotype, when the 
word 'Computer' was associated with the concepts 
ventelyatsionnoy system large entirely zastavlennymi some 
equipment rooms, just a huge reels and punched tape. How? And 
why do people must buy ZX80 for domestic use? Why?


ZX80 accompanied the unprecedented success of the computer 
market. Immediately, as soon as the first five minutes, once 
opened exhibition, Clive Sinclair has received an order to buy 
ten immediately computers. Canceled checks to buy his miracle 
became immediately come into the office at King's Parade! No 
one could anticipate such a buzz in the office was dominated by 
chaos and working vanity. Clive thought - can the company cope

simultaneously with the production of ZX80 and conduct business 
in such a rhythm? 

But Sinclair did not stop at anything. His desire to sell
ZX80 in the U.S. market has been dictated by lack of
suitable competitor whose performance would be comparable with
achievements Sinclair Research Ltd. in the price / quality 
ratio. Even before the release of the first mass party of their 
micro-computers in UK stores, Clive Sinclair takes with him and 
with success shows in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show

my ZX80, where he meets Nigel Searle in Boston.
At the time Searle had his office. In the future it will have 
Clive invaluable service by selling ZX80, ZX81 and later in

USA Sinclair computers by sending regular mail.
This he did until the beginning of 1982.

Sinclair Research has developed by leaps and bounds. Already by
September 1980 had been sold 20 thousand computers ZX80! Staff
company grew. The Cambridge office of King's Parade on
worked twelve people. Directly to the product itself under
mark Sinclair Research Ltd. manufactured in St Ives by
Tek Electronics, hired under contract. Then, when computers
were sold in just unimaginable scale, their assembly
broke Firm Timex. Despite big sales
substandard computers almost was not. The average ago
was returned to only about one percent of the Sold cars.

Popularity ZX80 was very high and only because
He had no visible counterparts. Of the shortcomings can be
to name a few things: not quite correct processing of numbers
floating-point, by only five characters, the difficulty of
storing programs on cassette. Not entirely successful at a 
glance users has been arranged keyboard. But this does not 
prevent that essentially Sinclair ZX80 with its won had dreamed 
all his life.


September 1980 saw the release of new versions of computer
RAM of 16 Kbytes, now no longer had to fear that by
power surges can lose what made the evening.

March 1981. Appeared ZX81. It is specifically Sinclair
developed in conjunction with Ferranti (one of the leading
proizvodtsvu microelectronics) chip. Now the board ZX81
placed 18 chips, and the price dropped to 69.95 pounds
completed version, and up to 49.95 pounds per kit
self-assembly. Sinclair proposed a new ROM, which would
transformed into ZX80 ZX81. In the ZX81 were taken into account 
the error 'youth', and Now it was possible to do floating point 
calculations and explore the function.


Computer was not a color image in the full sense of the
words, although the color TV characters are displayed on
completely green screen. In the coming year, Sinclair promised 
to production printers for the ZX81. At the same time he offers 
to buy Government of its computers and a printer for half the 
market value.


His goal - to provide each school an inexpensive modern
technique. Moreover, each with a ZX81 RAM in 16 kilobytes of 
cost to Government only 60 pounds, although really using the 
same guys with Downing Street, every school could really lay 
out for ZX81 an entire 130 pounds! As a result, about 2300 
schools across Britain has kindly agreed to the deal.


ZX81 immediately caused a lot of positive responses among both
students and teachers. On this occasion, a journalist
David tabby in a famous magazine called Personal Computer World
Sinclair's 'Uncle Clive', what the inventor himself was very 
flattered. On the ZX81 newspaper wrote: "New opportunities a 
year after appearance ZX80! '.


The long-awaited ZX Printer was put on stream in late November
1981. Its price was only 49.95 pounds. Intended
for the ZX81, they can be used with equal success, and in 8
kilobyte ZX80. It was a very compact 32-character
printer.

Glory Sinclair, reaching as far as Japan. The company receives 
Mitsui exclusive right to import goods into Japan Sinclair 
Research Ltd. and its further spread. The very Japanese company

imports of British products from consumer goods that
Car renowned firm JAGUAR. With all the features
distribution of computers by mail, the price of ZX81 in Japan 
totaled about 90 pounds. And there was an unprecedented success.


Literally for a first year sales in Japan have found their
Buyer's 20,000 computers produced by Sinclair Research
Ltd.! And no competitors. By the end of January 1982 to
Worldwide it sold more than 300,000 compact ZX81! Record
sales has been raised in the U.S.. For a month by e-mail was
sent 15,000 copies of a miracle machine! The potential number of
Buyers were about 10 million people.

American Express Company said that its history does not and
it was never anything like! Later Sinclair sells
rights to manufacture the company ZX81 Timex, which since the 
mid- 1982 continued to provide the United States market,

Sinclair paying from the proceeds from each computer sold
five percent.

By February 1982 the same level of computer sales exceeded
polumilionny abroad, why trade Sinclair Research Ltd.
amounted to 30 million pounds Sterling a year, although recently
He was about 4.65 million and was considered more than 
successful. 

Like mushrooms after the rain started to appear creative 
personality, who created the first software for the ZX80 and

ZX81. Shortly before the production was launched ZX81,
appeared and the first officially registered club
users ZX80. Especially for owners ZX81 from January 1981
the year was out periodical SYNC. In the same year in
published by Newnes published the first book, which is 
accessible public form sets out the principles of programming 
language BASIC for the ZX81. The author's first book for home 
computers was Robin Norman.


January 1982 has been truly fruitful for activities related to
named Sinclair. In the exhibition hall at Westminster
the leadership of Mike Johnston's exhibition was organized
represents companies and their products for computers and ZX80
ZX81.

Just a huge crowd of people, about 10 thousand people wanted
visit her. Although the exhibition hall can accommodate about a 
possible thousands of people. Police knocked down, 
kontrolliruya order to street. Fever Pitch was sensational. 
Over seventy companies from different parts of the world 
presented their findings activities, which were immediately 
crushed sinklerovskimi buyers.


But the interest in computer models, Sinclair became a little
wane. Are gradually emerging demand for more sophisticated
technique, rather than ZX80 and ZX81. And Sinclair is well 
understood. After selling six times the ZX81, than ZX80, 
Sinclair is already planned a new surprise. In the depths of 
his laboratory was developing the project codenamed ZX82. And 
in April 1982 the world learned that a ZX82 or already familiar 
to our perception - ZX Spectrum! 

Designed by Richard Altvasserom, the computer was sold in
two versions: a 16k and 48k 125 pounds, just over 175. Who
worked on the ZX81 mog turn your computer into a 16k Spectrum,
bought for 60 pounds of the corresponding hardware.

Undoubtedly, the new computer was a ZX Spectrum on all 
indicators better than their predecessors. He excelled ZX81 
that already had a schedule of eight colors with high 
resolution, beeper. A most importantly, could now be free to 
keep the tape does not only basic files as in the ZX80-81, and 
additional code blocks, arrays, displays.


At that time, as ZX81 competed successfully with the newly 
emerged Computer Acorn Atom, the dispute for dominance in the 
domestic market computers, he could not oppose a computer 'BBC

model A '. Of course, ZX81 was able to further constrain the 
pressure model, BBC Micro, but not BBC model A. And then 
appeared on the scene Spectrum, which will put everything in 
its place. 

New Spectrum had more advanced version
BASIC language interpreter. The new keyboard with rubber
Button was a significant step forward compared with the
membrane, which was on the ZX81. It is now possible on a single
display screen at the same time 49,152 pixels in eight colors.

According to reviews, it was the cheapest computer that is 
already could get a color computer graphics. Little

troubled border presence, but it was not so important. The 
corpus was built in speaker, and now in games started to appear

'Gurgling' sound. Immediately articles began to appear lower a
achieve Sinclair. They Spectrum compared with computers,
that cost crazy money - 500
pound-sterling.

But Clive was not disappointed: "Low price of my computer
sdelala possible purchase of this computer my parents
children so they understand what awaits them in the future. The 
schools often thirty students have one computer, if any thing

the case. I give children the opportunity to work on a computer
no one is independent. What could be better than having your
own computer at home and feel like a fish in water? "

With the advent of computers Sinclair, many people rediscover
for themselves some of the things it helped to see the world 
from a different angle. After all, not every year that happens?


Since February 1983, in a chain of stores across the country 
come first computers ZX Spectrum. The largest distributor of

Sinclair Research Ltd. Company Prism Micros via email
Distribution has sold more than 200,000 Spectrum'ov! Another
distributors, Easter, implemented in the UK about 15
thousands of these computers only one week! Demand is not
just did not fall, and grew!

... Success was waiting for Spectrum in more than thirty 
countries around the world. But it's all waiting for Spectrum 
only in the future, but for now we leave Sinclair, alone with 
his work of genius ... 

 <.!.>
... Although rooted in fairly recent times The conventional
the view that the Spectrum is not the most eminent among the 
machine 8-bit computers, let anyone try to challenge

the fact of his wide popularity.

   Further comments feel superfluous.
 <.!.>


                                ...